


In the Blink of an Eye, Just a Whisper of Smoke, You Could Lose Everything, the Truth Is You Never Know

by Huntress8611



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (if you haven't figured it out yet Adam's dead in this), Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Protective Keith (Voltron), Sad Shiro (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 05:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20002705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress8611/pseuds/Huntress8611
Summary: “What’s up?”Shiro jumped, startled. He hadn’t noticed the boy walking up. “I was just looking-” he said, waving his hand towards the crowd.“Is Adam here?” asked Keith, hoping that he was because he didn’t want to deal with mopey Shiro. Again.“Haven’t seen him. I didn’t expect to, anyway. He was pissed at me last time I saw him. He probably just didn't come out to see us,” said Shiro, shrugging it off, unconcerned.





	In the Blink of an Eye, Just a Whisper of Smoke, You Could Lose Everything, the Truth Is You Never Know

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this work is from the song Like I’m Gonna Lose You by Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend.

“Mom!”

Shiro watched Pidge leap at their parents with a small smile on his face. He looked around and saw Lance surrounded by his family. He climbed out of the vehicle and walked over to Sam, giving him a one armed hug.

“It’s good to see you,” said Sam.

“You too, Sam,” Shiro replied with a smile before stepping away to allow Pidge to spend more time with their family.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Shiro looked around to see if there was anyone else that he needed to greet.

“What’s up?”

Shiro jumped, startled. He hadn’t noticed the boy walking up. “I was just looking-” he said, waving his hand towards the crowd.

“Is Adam here?” asked Keith, hoping that he was because he didn’t want to deal with mopey Shiro. Again.

“Haven’t seen him. I didn’t expect to, anyway. He was pissed at me last time I saw him. He probably just didn't come out to see us,” said Shiro, shrugging it off, unconcerned.

Keith had just opened his mouth to respond when Commander Iverson came up to them to take them and the rest of the paladins inside.

A few days later, Shiro was helping Sam with the Atlas. Shiro looked up from his work because he remembered that he needed to ask Sam something.

“Hey Sam, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Shiro.”

“Do you happen to know how Adam’s doing?”

“God, Shiro,” said Sam, walking over to Shiro and putting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.

“No,” Shiro whispered, desperately hoping that he was misreading the situation.

“I’m so sorry,” Sam said, “God I’m sorry.”

“When? How?” Shiro asked, voice cracking.

“A few months after the Galra arrived. His plane was hit,” Sam said softly, “Let me show you something.”

Sam led him to the Garrison Memorial, and his jaw nearly dropped when he saw how big it had gotten. It had more than quadrupled in size since he last saw it.

“There’s so many,” Shiro said in horror, “Too many.”

“I know. It’s awful,” Sam said, walking over to one the walls. “Here, Shiro,” he murmured, fingers brushing over one of the plaques.

Shiro walked closer and Sam took a step back, giving him some room. “I want you to know that he was so happy when he found out that you were alive,” Sam said.

Shiro softly ran his fingers over the plaque, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

“We  _ will _ win this,” promised Shiro, taking a step back. “ _ We will win _ .”

They’d done it. They’d beaten the Galra. Earth was safe, the paladins were alive and had gotten out of the hospital within a few weeks, and they were all  _ happy _ . Matt and Krolia and Acxa and Shay and Kolivan and so many others had come to Earth. It was finally over.

They’d all been living together, the paladins and their friends and families, finding it too strange to live apart after all they’d done together. Shiro walked into the house and heard Keith calling him from the living room.

“What is it, Keith?” he asked, walking over to him.

“I was wondering if you’d talked to Adam yet. I know he was pissed at you and you think he doesn’t want to see you, but he thought you died. I’m certain that he’s glad you aren’t dead- Shiro, are you alright?” Keith broke off, noticing the expression on Shiro’s face.

“God, Keith,” he said, practically collapsing onto the couch.

“What’s wrong, Shiro?” Keith asked, concerned.

“He’s  _ dead _ , Keith. Adam’s  _ dead _ ,” said Shiro, his voice cracking as he held his head in his hand. “His plane got shot down a few months after the Galra attacked.”

“Oh, Shiro, I didn’t know. I’m so sorry,” Keith said, scooting so that was pressed up against him.

“I’m such an awful. Now I can’t tell him everything, how he was so much more important to me than that stupid mission. He thought I cared more about the mission than him,” said Shiro.

Keith wrapped an arm around him and he burst into tears, and Keith pulled him into a proper hug so that he was leaned up against his side and his head was on Keith’s chest. He used one arm to rub Shiro’s back and the other to run his fingers through his hair.

“I’ve gotcha,” said Keith, “You have to talk to people, Shiro. You can’t just bottle this shit up or you’ll explode.”

“I know,” he said, “There just wasn’t any time to process and then I was happy we won and worried about you guys and it didn’t really hit me until now.”

“Okay, but now there is time, so let’s talk. You said you’re a bad person? Well, you aren’t,” Keith said, still holding the other man tightly.

“But I-”

“No buts,” Keith said firmly. “You saved fucking world. Hell, you helped save Voltron.  _ You turned the Atlas into another Voltron _ , for fuck’s sake. You’re a hero Shiro.”

“I just feel so awful about what I did,” Shiro whispered.

“I’m sure he would have forgiven you. I’m sure he was so happy and relieved when he found out you were alive,” said Keith quietly.

“Sam said- Sam was the one who told me- I’d asked where he was and he told me he was- he said he’d  _ died _ . Then later- he told me later that Adam- he’d been so happy when he found out- when he saw that I was alive, but now he’s  _ dead _ -,” Shiro broke off with a hiccupping sob and began to cry anew.

“Just let it out, Shiro. It’ll help, I promise,” murmured Keith.

“I just miss him so  _ much _ , Keith,” he whispered.

“I know. I promise, Shiro, you’ll make it through this. You’re not alone. You’ve got Matt, Sam, Pidge, and I, and the rest of the paladins, and Coran and Allura. You aren't alone, and we’re going to help you through this,” Keith promised. He continued to murmur kind words to Shiro as he cried, until he ended up crying himself to sleep.

Around an hour later, Matt walked in. Keith put a finger against his lips, gesturing at Shiro, who was sleeping curled against him.

"What happened?" Matt asked quietly, quickly walking over to the couch and sitting next to Shiro.

"Adam,” Keith answered quietly, “He didn’t make it.”

“Fuck!” swore Matt, just a little too loudly, rousing Shiro from his light sleep.

“Matt?” he slurred, still mostly asleep.

“Right here,” he said softly, pulling Shiro over to lean on him, "Go back to sleep."

Shiro opened his eyes, reaching out and grabbing Matt's hand.

"Matt, Adam-" Shiro said, his voice cracking.

"I know, Shiro. I'm sorry."

"I- I never got to say sorry, Matt. I left and never got to tell him I was sorry and that I still love him," Shiro whispered. "He di- he- he died thinking I was mad at him."

"Shiro," Matt said, letting go of his hand to wrap both arms around him, "He knew. He knew you loved him and you know he loved you."

"I just- he's gone, Matt," Shiro said, wiping his eyes.

Matt looked at Keith, who was still sitting on the other side of the couch.

"Keith and I are going to help you get to your bed, okay? You're tired and you need to sleep."

Shiro nodded his agreement and Keith and Mattagreement's and helped him up, allowing him to lean heavily against them both as they walked to his room. They made him sit on his bed and Keith gently pushed his shoulders down, making him lie down.

Matt sat down next to him on the bed, running his fingers through Shiro's hair. "Go to sleep, Shiro. We can talk in the morning if you need to," he said softly.

Shiro yawned loudly, his eyes drifting shut.

Matt and Keith stayed until they were sure he was asleep before looking at each other and silently promising that they'd get Shiro through this.


End file.
